1. comparative form of tough; more difficult to break, cut, or damage
2. comparative form of tough; more difficult to do or deal with
3. comparative form of tough; more strict or severe

Examples

• This rope is tougher than the old one.
• The math problems got tougher as the semester progressed.
• The new coach is much tougher on discipline than the previous one.
• She became tougher after surviving that difficult experience.
• Steel is tougher than aluminum in most applications.
• The interview questions were tougher than I expected.
• He needs to be tougher when negotiating contracts.